Watching The Grands

      Taking advantage of one of the recent warmer days this winter, I built a snowman with my four-year-old grandson Lewis, using sticks for the arms, a milk bottle cap for the nose and a handful of pebbles to create the mouth and eyes. Then Lewis and I hiked to a nearby hill to try his sled. The hill wasn't steep enough to slide down so we came back to find the snowman toppled over and wrecked.

     I asked my six-year-old grandson Charlie what happened and he admitted that he and his older brother Davis had pushed him over. Why? I asked. “When I see a snowman I lose control of myself,” Charlie confessed.

     This was in the middle of Valentine's Day when we volunteered to watch the five kiddos of son Scott who with his wife was enjoying a trip to the theatre and lunch at a nearby brewpub. I thought we did okay babysitting the five who range in age from two to nine, four boys and a big sister. Nobody was injured, nothing was broken and that's the best you can expect in my book.

     Fisticuffs flew only once and, ironically, it was not from the rowdy boys but from big sister Gwen. Her brother Davis had absconded with a piece of Valentine candy she had gotten at school, the most serious crime in her book. She furiously chased him down and landed a couple good punches when she finally caught up to him, punches for which Mike Tyson would have given a thumbs-up. Davis surrendered the candy.

     Of all the kids, Davis instigates the most trouble. Ironically, he had his first reconciliation just a couple weeks ago at church. This is where you confess your sins. I figured Davis should have a pretty substantial list so I asked him if fighting with his brothers or sister was on his list of infractions. Surprisingly, he said, no. Disobeying his parents then? I figured that one would be there as well. Again, he said, no. So I straight up asked him what he confessed. “I almost robbed a toy store once,” he replied. OK, so I have to admit that would top his family squabbles.

     To provide some down time for everyone, we played the card game of “How Well I know My Family” where players take turns reading questions from a card they draw, come up with an answer, then see which family member can guess correctly. Charlie picked a card with the question, “What was the happiest day of my life?” We quickly guessed Christmas, birthdays, trips to Disney world, sleepovers, other celebrations but nobody guessed right. We finally gave up. Charlie said, “It was the day I met Davis.”

     Gwen pointed out that this occurred shortly after he was born so how would he remember that. Then Gwen picked a card. The question asked, “What type of potatoes are your favorite?” Knowing the kids love their McDonalds, Wendy said french fries. Nope. Since Gwen is always asking for potato chips at our house, I volunteered chips as the correct response. No again. Mashed potatoes? Tater tots? Hash browns? Nope. Then Davis said, “Potatoes with ketchup.” Gwen said that was right. I'd like a referees review to see if that's a legitimate response.

     Two-year-old Miles can't play this game as he's too young. But he's happy watching Baby Shark episodes on TV as he snacks, cookies being a favorite. I got him a big Spiderman cookie which he nibbled on. Knowing it would be too much for him, I asked if I could have a bite. “Nope,” he deadpanned. OK, how about just a little piece. “I said nope,” he replied. Somehow I think he copied a parents' response with his “I said no.”

     Their parents have some rules for what the kids can and can't eat. Or drink. Gwen found a partially full bottle of soda in the fridge and started drinking that. We know parents have issues with soda pop whether it's diet or not. So we asked her if she was permitted to drink that. “I can drink fizzy pop as long as it doesn't have caffeine.”

     Wendy checked and found out that the pop indeed contain caffeine. She warned Gwen that she would have trouble going to sleep now. “That's okay. I need to stay up to read for school,” she said.

     Thankfully, Wendy and I didn't have to deal with bedtimes as mom and dad came home before then. Now it was mine and Wendy's turn to hit the brewpub.